Maternity corset



Nov. 14, 1939. l. R. VERSOY 78 MATERNITY CORSET Filed Jan. 24, 1938 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 14, 1939. R. vERsQY 2,180,178.

MATERNITY CORSET Filed Jan. 24, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 14,1939 PATENT OFFICE MATERNITY CORSET Irving R. Vex-soy,

New Haven, C'onn., assignor to The Berger Brothers Company, New Haven,Conn, a. corporation of Connecticut Application January 24, 1938,

2 Claims.

This invention relates to corsets, and more particularly to a corset formaternity wear. The requirements for a satisfactory garment of this typeare many and varied, which is evidenced by the many attempts to producesuperior garments which will meet the demands made upon them. Amongother things, such a garment should give the proper support from belowto the abdominal region of the body. In addition, there should be nodownward pressure on the body such as might be caused by tightconfinement of the region above the abdomen. Moreover, the upper portionof the garment should be expansible so as to avoid the application ofpressure, but at the same time confine the flesh of the wearer justenough to prevent bulging and give a comparatively smooth appearance,and at the same time allow for enlargement or growth. The lower part ofthe garment, while being adjustable in size, should be relativelyinelastic so as to give the proper support from below. In addition tothese requirements, it is, of course, advantageous to supply, ifpossible, a single garment which may be worn during the maternity periodso as to avoid the necessity of having to purchase several corsets asthe period advances. Moreover, the appearance of the garment isimportant, as it is desirable to give the wearer as nearly as possible adress corset which, while entirely satisfactory from a physiologicalstandpoint, will not be unsightly or cumbersome.

One object of the present invention is the provision of a maternitycorset which will be of attractive appearance and at the same timeprovide the necessary support and confinement for various parts of thebody of the wearer.

A further object of the invention is the provision'of a maternity corsetwhich will satisfy the requirements noted above, and which will berelatively inexpensive to manufacture and of pleasing appearance.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a maternitygarment which will give the proper support to the abdomen from below, 45and sufficient freedom to the portions of the body above the abdomen,and which will at the same time present a neat and dressy appearance andbe adjustable as to size so that it may be worn during the greater partof the maternity period.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features andcombinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

55 Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a corset Serial No. 186,561

embodying my invention, the corset being shown in the position in whichit is worn;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the garment in partly openposition;

Fig. 3 is a view of the interior of the corset completely open, the beltbeing omitted for the sake of clearness;

Fig. 4 is a partial elevational view of -one side of the front of thegarment;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;and

Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the stays or flexible stiffeningmembers which may be used adjacent the lacings.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown acorset which comprises a back section l0 and adjacent side sections IIand I2, at the lower portions of which may be gores l3 and M of elasticmaterial such as a relatively firm elastic webbing. It will beunderstood that, with the exception of the gores l3 and [4, the partsheretofore described will preferably be of non-elastic material.

The front portion of the garment comprises front panels l5 and I6adjustably secured together by the front lacing ll, which extends fromtop to bottom of the garment. At the edge of the portion It are provideda series of fastening members such as hooks l8, which cooperate witheyes I9 upon the free edge of the side portion l2 to hold the garment inproper closed position upon the body of the wearer. The garment may,therefore, be termed a front lace corset, opening at one side of theexact center, the lacing ll, as shown, being located substantially atthe center of the front portion.

Suitable stays 20 are provided, as desired, in

the back and side portions of the garment, and

at certain of these stay seams are secured flaps 2| and 22, carryingbuckles 23, designed to receive the straps 24 secured at each end of anabdominal belt or support 25. This abdominal belt is of the charactershown more especially in Fig. 2, and is provided with stiffening stays26 which diverge slightly upwardly in order that the supporting portionof the belt follow the shape of the body. Adjustment of the belt forsize is, of course, permitted by the straps 24 and buckles 23. It mayalso be noted that, in the preferred form shown, these straps aresituated entirely within the corset body, the belt 25 and straps 24, aswell as the flaps 2|, being covered by the front and side portions ofthe garment when the latter is closed, or in the position in which it isworn, and is shown in Fig. 1.

It will be noted that theflaps 2| and 22 are secured to the garment atthe Junction of the back portion ill with the side portions II and I2,so that the support afforded the body by the belt 25 is carried entirelyby this belt and the back portion ID of the garment. As this portion ofthe garment, and also the belt, are of inelastic material, this willprovide a firm and inelastic support for the abdomen from below, whichis considered the most desirable practice.

Vertical openings or slots are provided in the side portions II and I 2.These openings extend from the upper edge of the garment down to a pointin the region of the groin, the edges of the openings being heldtogether by elastic lacings 21 and 28. The construction of this portionof the garment is shown more especially in Figs. 4 and 5, from which itwill be seen that eyelets 29 are providedat the edges of these openings.It will be observed, however, that the eyelets project outwardly fromthe edges of the openings intermediate the thickness of the garment,there being several layers of material both above and below them. Theresult of this arrangement is to depress the eyelets below the uppersurface of the garment so that the laces themselves do not overlap theedges of these openings, but lie within the openings substantially flushwith the outer surface of the garment in order to present a neatappearance and provide a less bulky arrangement.

Flexible stifiening members 30 are provided at each side of theseopenings from the groin through the top of the garment, these stiifeningmembers being secured over the base of the eyes so as to set the latterinwardly from the outer surface of the corset and prevent the collapseof the garment at the edges of these openings, or, in other words, tomaintain the edges of the openings in smooth, unwrinkled condition.

The laces 21 and 28 are, as stated, preferably of elastic material, soas to permit distention and wider separation of the edges of the sideopenings at any point in their length, as required. That is, ifnecessary under conditions of wear, the edges of these openings may bedrawn further apart intermediate their ends than they are at the top andbottom. In order to provide additional freedom in this respect, thestiflening member 30 at each side of the opening will preferably be of acharacter to permit flexibility lating slot-like connection with theside openings, that is, the eyelets 3| which receive the lacing [1 mayproject from the edges of these portions of the corset garment, 8X-

entirely by the outer front section. The elastic gores I3 1. A maternitycorset provided with a solid inelastic back portion and with sideportions extending forwardly therefrom and with a front portioninterconnecting the side portions, said side portions being provided attheir lower front parts with elastic gores, said side portionshavopenings extending through the upper edges thereof and terminating ininelastic parts of said side portions, the lower ends of said openingsbeing ofiset slightly in a rearward direction from the upper extremitiesof said gores, and elastic lacings interconnecting the edges of each ofsaid openings whereby the front portion of the corset at the upper partthereof is adapted to adjust itself to the conformation of the body, andstifiening members flexible in the plane oi! the garment adjacent theopenings located within the corset body at the respective sides of saidopenings, said corset being adapted to exert encircling pressure andsupport in a region adjacent the lower ends of said openings.

,2. A maternity corset having back, side and front portions adapted toeffect encircling pressure on and support of the body in a regionadjacent the hip line, said corset having elastic gores the upper endsof which terminate slightly short of said region, the side portions ofthe corset having slot-like openings disposed somewhat rearwardly of theupper extremities of the gores, with the upper ends of the openings openat the upper edge of the corset, elastic lacings interconnecting theedges of each of said openings, and flexible sinuous stifiening memberslocated within the corset body at the respective sides of said openings.

IRVING R. VERSOY.

